Race: Frost Eagle 1/2 Marathon
Runner: Shannon P
Race Date: 01/18/2020
Location: Soaring Eagle Regional Park, Sammamish, WA
Results: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=207935
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/3022939320
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
Strong community vibe, varied trails for a suburban park, low-key atmosphere
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
The trails at Soaring Eagle always seem to be a mud bath in mid-January and this year they were an icy mud bath due to all the lingering snow from earlier in the week!
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
Hmmm, high % of folks wearing shorts in 35 degree weather?
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
I was happy with how I was able to maintain speed in the second lap of the course. I’ve been working on this with not a lot of success in the last year and something clicked here. Maybe I’m just in better shape than a year ago, but I also feel like my body finally realized that it can go harder than it thinks it can late in a race.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
No big hills and nothing requiring a power hike. Just grind on over the risers because nothing lasts long.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
The second half of a race will hurt no matter how slow or fast you run, so you might as well run faster?
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
Probably not the best course to wear your favorite white running attire….
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
For a suburban park, it is strikingly varied in terms of geography and unexpectedly pretty.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
Not an especially tough course in terms of elevation, only about 1000 feet in the 1/2
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Absolutely, 100% well-oiled machine. It is always a joy to run a NW Trail Runs event.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
The field isn’t as deep as a marquee event, but there are always a few ridiculously fast folks who show up.
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
I registered two weeks in advance and suspect you could have signed up day-of. If you live in the greater Seattle/Bellevue area, this is a simple and easy race to make happen.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
One aid station mid-way through the course, standard fare.
Weather and typical race conditions
Typical Pacific NW January, usually rainy and 40s. This year started with temps in the 30s and freezing rain, but it warmed up pretty quickly.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?
Nothing special required – shorts, shirt, and shoes
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
It could be spectator friendly given that it’s two laps of a figure 8 course, but I didn’t see many spectators. The weather might have had something to do with that…
How’s the Swag?
Free food and beverage at the finish plus the usual NW Trail Runs raffle.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
4 of 5 stars – this is a reliably good, low-key mid-winter race